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Revealed: a ruthless, pioneering genius who ranks as the best British manager . . . ever!

By Alex Murphy

January 10 2004, 12:00am, The Times

SEVENTY years ago today, the greatest pioneer in the history of British football management was buried in Hendon Churchyard, northwest London. The funeral of Herbert Chapman, who led Huddersfield Town and then Arsenal to the pinnacle of the English game, was attended by hundreds of mourners and generous obituaries appeared in every national newspaper.

These days, that would be expected; a manager’s fame is at least equal to that of his superstar players. Yet before Chapman, bosses were anonymous, behind-the-scenes figures whose names were rarely known beyond the immediate precincts of their clubs. Chapman changed all that. He invented the modern concept of the football manager and changed the British game for ever in countless ways.